Dialoguing With AI: Composing a Sonnet or Haiku

Poetry brings raw human emotion to life in the form of words. Sometimes, the words easily come to mind, and a beautiful diction is created.

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However, at times you may find that you’re having difficulty penning a poem, whether it’s coming up with a theme or using engaging metaphors. In those moments, it may be a good idea to use advanced resources that are available to you. ChatGPT is one of them.

Keep reading to learn how to use ChatGPT to help you write poetry—whether it’s as a collaboration or as a guide.

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Collaborative Writing With ChatGPT

Collaborative writing is considered to be group writing done between two or more people—in this context, let’s say two or more forms of intelligence.

Working with AI will allow you to explore ideas you may not have thought of on your own. Additionally, collaboration gives you a chance to improve your writing skills .

Brainstorm

You can go into brainstorming with AI with no idea of what to write about or with a topic in mind. This process is all about considering ways to create the best piece of poetry.

If you are starting with no idea in mind, simply ask ChatGPT to brainstorm themes to write a poem. It’ll give you a list of subjects to review, and you both can take the idea from there.

If you have a topic in mind but want to find some inspiration for how to convey it, let ChatGPT know what theme you’re considering, and it’ll give you some choices for a direction to take your poem in.

Realize Structure and Form

Writing a poem with ChatGPT can be advantageous for a few reasons—one being that it can choose the structure and form of the poem for you. This includes the type of poem, like a sonnet or an ode, and the rhyme scheme.

After you know the topic of your poem, ask ChatGPT what kind of structure and form should be written about the theme. It’ll give you an option and ask if you want to continue. If it chooses a format you’re not interested in, just ask for something different.

Co-Create Word Choice and Imagery

There’s a chance that ChatGPT may come up with the perfect poem on the first try. However, chances are with your guidance, it could be better. There may be some word choices that don’t quite harmonize with the poem or maybe the imagery isn’t quite hitting the mark.

The best way to handle this situation is to tell ChatGPT which lines you don’t like and why. It’ll come up with some better choices that you can choose from.

But don’t forget, you always have the option of coming up with your diction and telling ChatGPT to change its wording to yours.

Add Engaging Poetic Devices

Poetic devices help to enrich the meaning of a poem, and sometimes make it a more entertaining experience for the writer and the reader. There are many to choose from such as personification, alliteration, metaphors, similes, and paradoxes.

When creating your poem with ChatGPT, ask it to include which poetic devices you want. If you’re not sure which one to go for, you can simply ask ChatGPT to pick one for you.

Use ChatGPT to Proofread and Refine

ChatGPT makes for a good proofreader and editor for all your creative writing, poetry included. Even if you’re working with the AI throughout the whole writing process, it’s still a good idea to have it check for any errors. It may also be able to find a way to make the poem sound better.

Ask ChatGPT to proofread and refine your poem and see what corrections it comes up with. It is advised that you read through the lines carefully to make sure it still reads well.

Using ChatGPT as a Guide Instead

Let’s say you’re a bit nervous about using AI, and you would rather your writing be 100% your work—that is perfectly fine. There are simple ways to use ChatGPT that won’t make you feel like it did the work for you.

Explore Poetry Prompts

Asking ChatGPT for prompts is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. It’s not coming up with a topic for you because the prompts are pretty generic. Instead, it’s merely giving you the inspirational push you need to get writing.

ChatGPT’s poetry prompts are especially effective when you’re stuck with massive writer’s block and aren’t sure how to proceed in your craft.

Ask for Advice

Treat ChatGPT like a friend about to read your latest piece of creative writing. You’re open to advice, but every comment and criticism isn’t going to make it to the final draft.

If you have a poem drafted or even just a few lines, you can ask the AI if it has any advice to make it better. Take the suggestions lightly and apply the ones you feel will help your piece of writing.

Welcome Research and References

ChatGPT has a plethora of knowledge at its disposal. If you’re writing a poem about a certain place or object, see if the AI can give the information you need to you. It’s like having a little virtual assistant on demand.

Simply ask ChatGPT for some information about the thing you need to know, and it’ll give you as many facts as you want. You can even ask for descriptions to help you create the imagery for your readers.

Keep in mind that if you’ve already begun a conversation about poetry with ChatGPT and ask for it to describe something, you’re likely going to get a poem. In your request for the information, simply clarify not to give it to you in poetic form.

Discuss Poetry Elements

Instead of asking ChatGPT to add poetic devices to your poem, ask it for a list of them. You can choose which elements you believe will work best in your poetry and come up with the words yourself.

Not only does this still make you the only contributor to your poetry, but you’ll also learn to use poetic devices you may not have come across before. ChatGPT is a great way to learn more about your skillset.

Things to Look Out For

Though ChatGPT can be a great resource, you shouldn’t blindly trust everything AI produces . In terms of creating poetry, here are a couple of things to look out for.

Robots Make Terrible Poets

Let’s be honest, ChatGPT can’t be the next John Keats or Robert Frost. AI is not capable of expressing human emotion and understanding individual experiences.

When you’re working with ChatGPT, you’ll need to see where its ideas and creations lack originality and bring them to life. As the actual poet, don’t let AI hinder your personal expression.

Misinformation Is a Possibility

AI is not always right, nor is it always up-to-date. As of July 2023, ChatGPT only has access to information up to September 2021. Therefore, any research you do with AI could be incorrect.

When in doubt, look up the information yourself to determine if it’s correct or not.

Write Your Next Poem Using ChatGPT

AI writing assistants are well-rounded programs that can help with so many different projects—poetry being one of them. The best part is that it’s completely up to you how much or how little it helps you in your craft.

Next time you write a poem, a story, a social media post, or any other form of creative writing, try using ChatGPT to see how it can benefit you as a writer.

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However, at times you may find that you’re having difficulty penning a poem, whether it’s coming up with a theme or using engaging metaphors. In those moments, it may be a good idea to use advanced resources that are available to you. ChatGPT is one of them.

Keep reading to learn how to use ChatGPT to help you write poetry—whether it’s as a collaboration or as a guide.

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